Envelope opener



April 8, 1930. c. A. MAYER 1,753,710

ENVELOPE OPENER Filed June 8, 1928 Patented Apr. 8, 1 930 UNITED STATES CHARLES A. MAYER, OF IBOSTONQMASSACHUSETTS ENVELOPE OPENER Application filed June 8,

This invention relates to devices for opening envelopes and the like and its object is to provide such a device having, among others, the novel features hereinafter illustrated and described.

In the drawings of one embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2, a side elevation;

Fig. 3, a horizontal section on the line 33, Fig. 1, looking down;

Fig. 4, a similar figure illustrating the method of using the opener; and

Fig. 5, a cross-section on the line 55, Fig. 1.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, my novel envelope opener comprises a body 1, with a lower jaw 2 to engage the lower edge of a desk or table 3, and an upwardly extended neck 4 with a threaded end 5 to receive a suitable element as a winged screw 6 with a head 7 which constitutes an upper jaw, to engage the upper face of the desk or table 3.

The body 1 has a long narrow envelope receiving mouth 8 milled or cast therein with narrow slots 9 leading rearwardly from the lips in which to seat the spring 10 and knife 11 which are locked in position as byscrews 12, 13, from above. I

The jaws 14, 15, formed by the mouth 8 are rounded at the (Fig. 1) left hand end or entrance to the mouth, forming a tapering opening. The lower face of the jaw 14 (Fig.

is slotted, as stated, to receive the rear end of spring 10 and as shown in Fig. 4, the spring is fashioned and positioned to depress, by its outer and free end, the leading end of the envelope beyond the flap edge, without depressing the flap. 'That results in leaving an opening beneath the flap near its upper and (Fig. 4) leading end for the entrance of the knife 11.

The knife edge is inclined longitudinally relative to the rear of the mouth, and its point is set back in the mouth 8 farther than the end of the spring 10 to avoid the envelope flap, and there is preferably a very short space between the adjacent ends of these elements longitudinally of the mouth so that the 1928, Serial No. 283,893.

opening beneath the flap for the knife point will be made before the knife point is reached by the envelope flap as it travels through the mout-hfrom left to right. Great difficulty has been experienced heretofore in constructing these devices to so design one that the knife point would with certainty find the pipening between the envelope back and the 3p I If the envelope as well as its flap is pressed up or down together, the knife opening be neath the flap is not created. The envelope and flap should be separated at leastto the extent that they will normally separate when one is under-pressure while the other'isnot, to create the opening, and I secure this'conditionby'depressing the envelope only by the springjust as the envelope flapv approaches. the knife point.

Furthermore, if the mouth had a straight rear wall connecting the two jaws 14, 15, the envelope edge woul dhave achance to play and to workeither up or down relative to the knife and thus cause the knife tocut in other than a straight line. I have discovered by extensive experimenting that this trouble may-be avoided byprovidinga more or less V-shaped wall 16 at the back of the mouth 8 so that as the envelope is'pressed forward or tothe right, Fig. 4, and naturally inwardly,

it will contact-with the V-shaped wall 16 -which, whether the envelope is inclined to.

travel up or down, will tend to'center it with the knife and cause the knife blade to out straight along the foldedv top edge.

To care for anyragged portion, or small detached-pieces, of the envelope edge, which sometimes isicreated by the cutting portion in the case of inexpensiveenvelopes, I provide the rear wall 16 at its meetingpoint with-the knife edge with a recess 17 which receives any such ragged ordetached portions and thereby removes them from .the knife, edge and preventssuohportion or portions from interfering with the further cutting action of the knife. I In use, Fig. 4, the envelope 18' is turned upside down, and its right hand'upper corner is placed between the jaws 14, 15 .with'itsedge against the wall'16. The envelope is then slid toward the right, Fig. 4, and when the leading edge reaches the spring end 10 which bears upon the envelope, but not upon the flap, the enevelope is pressed down upon the lower jaw 15, permitting the flap edge 19 to remain free and, from its natural tendency to spring away vfrom the envelope, it being also unsecured by adhesive at that point, and as the envelope is slid farther to the right, the knife 11 enters beneath the flap.

Further travel ofi' theenvelope; will, of: course, cause the knife to sever the flap from the envelope at its top edge.

My novel construction is simple in form, inexpensive to manufacture, and more" sure and efficient in action than any other that-- I know' of. y 7 V ,My invention is not restrictedto the precise embodiment thereof described and illustrated;

Claims: p v

1. An envelopeope'ner comprising a body, knife carrying jaws on one face thereof having an envelope end depressing spring and a" knife above the level of the spring end, the latter terminating in advance of the former with relation to thedirection of travel of the" envelope; i

2. An envelope opener comprisinga body,-

knife carrying j'aws on one'face thereof hav-' ing a knife therein, anda downwardly ex tended spring: positioned in the mouth and acting to bendthe approaching envelopebody away from and below the knife before the envelope flap mee'tsthe knife;

3. An envelope" opener comprisinga body,

knife carrying jaws on one face thereof hav-' ing a knife therein", and a' sprlng. positioned in the mouth acting to" spacethe envelope body from its-flap.

4. An envelope opener comprising a body, knife carrying-jaws on one face thereof hav-- ing a knife,ha ving also a springitherein fash-' ioned and positionedto bend the envelope body only below'the'knife before the former meets the knife, anda curved wall between the jawstocenter the envelope relativelyto the knife:

5'. In an envelope opening device, a body,

jaws on one face thereof, a knifebetween the jaws and an envelope flexing member in tandem' relation to the knife also therein positioned to be effective only upon the envelope before it meets the'knife, and upon the' fiap after it meetsthe knife.

6i An envelope opener'comprisinga pair of jaws with a knife therebetween', and an envelope lend depressing member also between the jaws terminating'in advance of the knifeand acting ontheienvelope when introduced between the jaws to depres'sit before it reaches-the'k-nife; v v In test'imony whereof, I have signed my name't'othisspecifieationi r GHARLES MAYER; 

